1280 - Gallery: Creating a clay community

In the first instalment of "Made in Brunswick", a food photographer establishes a ceramics workshop.

During Melbourne's epic lockdown, a number of inspiring small businesses have emerged in my corner of the world, Brunswick. I'm curious to get the backstory and thought it would be worth sharing. The first is the ceramics workshop 1280 / Ceramics gallery + co-making space

1280 Gallery + Studio is an elegant presence on Sydney Road. The façade is framed by woven wood and passersby can glimpse an array of soulful ceramics beyond which are people quietly throwing pots at the wheel.

1280 was established by Kevin Li, who previously was a food photographer. Noting the importance of ceramics in the look of food, he started to try out making his own. He learnt ceramics at a nearby Brunswick establishment, the School of Clay Art.

His clay work soon outgrew his home studio, but commercial space seemed too expensive. Having shared photography studios in the past, he decided to try a collective approach to ceramics. He found enough people willing to join him and established his Sydney Road space. The name 1280 comes from the temperature at which stoneware fires.

Li worked with Revival Projects to recycle internal timber to create the shop’s facade and fittings.

He started offering beginners classes in throwing clay, but demand soon exceeded supply. Two years of lockdown have left so many craving to do something tangible with their hands.

Retail also plays an important role in helping members sustain their practice. Lee himself likes the perfection of Korean ceramics.

For Li “the main aim for the business is it create a community that supports each other. That's the most worthwhile thing coming out of this whole business - to encourage people to reach out and just to befriend each other.”

1280 joins the flourishing handmade culture of Brunswikistan where I’m lucky to live.